Cuba Report

Issue 12 August 2008    

 
  fff IISC moving office f
   

Due to our growth as an organization the IISC is moving into larger office space in the Jewry Street building of the university situated in the City of London (pictured). At the time of writing the exact date for our move had not been finalised, but from 1st September we fully expect our new address will be:

International Institute for the Study of Cuba,
Rooms JS 153-153A
London Metropolitan University
31 Jewry Street,
London EC3N 2EY

Telephone 020 7320 3050 (a message will be left on the existing 020 7133 2405)


Mirtha Ibarra shines at Cine Cuba Film Festival

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Cuban actress Mirtha Ibarra, star of the award winning film Fresa y chocolate and wife of its late director, Tomás Guttiérrez Alea, was the guest of the IISC at the Cine Cuba film festival held at the Barbican Centre in London from 10-17 July.

Mirtha came to introduce the festival and discuss her work and the work of her husband, and to support a new initiative to raise funds to help restore damaged films in the Cuban film archive in Havana.
Among the people she met were Vanessa Redgrave and her son Carlo (pictured) and she gave an interview to the Spanish language website of the BBC World Service accessible here

 

Cuba economy expert to join IISC

Emily Morris (pictured), the UK’s foremost expert on the Cuban economy is to join the International Institute for the Study of Cuba.

Emily, who was the Cuba country editor for the influential Economist Intelligence Unit for 12 years, starts work as a Senior Research Fellow and director of the IISC’s Research Unit on 1st September.

Emily is to give and inaugural lecture on her work on October 9th. The event will take place at 6.30pm in the Henry Thomas Room, at LondonMet’s North Campus, Holloway Road.

Debating the Cuba-China relationship

Dr Adrian Hearn (pictured) from the China Studies Centre at the Universirty of Technology, Sydney, Australia, spoke at the IISC on 30 July,  about the growing relationship between Cuba and China. 33 people attended the seminar held in the Henry Thomas Room of the North Campus at London Metropolitan University.

Full details of the seminar and Dr Hearn's power point are posted on our website here.

 
 

  fff Public Seminars: US policy, Education in Cuba and the Cuban Economy f
   

The new programme of IISC public seminars begins on 16 September with a discussion of US policy towards Cuba by Arturo Lopez-Levy (pictured) a Cuban academic who is researching at Denver University, Colorado USA.

The season continues with the visit of two high-ranking Cuban educationalists on 24 September. The programme also includes a lecture on the Cuban economy by Emily Morris, child health in Cuba by Professor Imti Choonara of Nottingham University and on the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas by Dr Ken Cole. Click on the links for more information.

  
 
 
  cccc Ireland event attracts 40 participants ccc
   

On Saturday 19 July, IISC Assistant Director, Dr Stephen Wilkinson (pictured left) was the guest of Kinsale Arts Week in South West Ireland to take part in a panel discussion entitled:

After Fidel: What does the future hold for Cuba and its people?

On the panel with him was the veteran Irish travel writer Dervla Murphy whose book: The Island that dared about her travels in Cuba is published in October, 2008. 40 people attended the talk held at the Friary Centre in the town.		  
 
       
   

4th International Workshop on Child Health
Camaguey, Cuba 1-9 March 2009


Travel to the historic city of Camaguey in central Cuba for a three day conference in the company of Professor Imti Choonara, a Child health specialist from Nottingham University, enjoy free time to visit Havana and options to extend your stay are possible

Organised by Camaguey Children’s Hospital; Department of Provincial Health, Camaguey; International Institute for the Study of Cuba and University of Nottingham. Full details are on our website. Last year’s group is pictured

International Journal of Cuban Studies

The IISC’s International Journal of Cuba Studies is available to read free and online at www.cubastudiesjournal.org


Conferences/Call for Papers

 The IISC will be participating in a major international conference in Ontario, Canada next year that will assess the record of the Cuban Revolution in its 50th anniversary year.
The Measure of a Revolution:
Cuba, 1959-2009
Understanding the Past, Considering the Future
May 7-9, 2009
Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Call for papers

     

Medical study tour/Medical education conference in Havana. Departs 26 November


There are still places on the IISC study tour for Medical and primary health professionals and academics that departs on Virgin Atlantic for Havana on November 26.
The expanded programme includes participation in a major international conference on Medical Education in the 21st Century. (Logo pictured)
The tour is aimed at Health professionals and academics and will be led by Professor Patrick Pietroni. Visits will look at all aspects of Cuban medical care, including the system, its ethos, treatment regimes, institutions, research and facilities. Full details and the cost of participation can be found on our website. For further information email Dr Stephen Wilkinson

Study of Cuba’s Green Economy launched

The IISC has been successful in obtaining a grant of £30,000 over three years to study Cuba’s Low Energy Economy. The grant, from the Tedworth Charitable Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Trusts, was made to the Cuba Studies Trust, established to support the work of the IISC. The project will be carried out by the IISC Research Unit under the direction of Emily Morris.

 

  
           
         
     

UK-Cuba Biotech conference postponed

  
     

Owing to the unavailability of the Cuban specialists, the planned UK-Cuba biotech conference being organised jointly between the IISC and Dr Ian Gibson MP, has had to be postponed. The event will now take place in the Spring of 2009. The Dates have yet to be confirmed. For more information visit our website

 
               
  cccc Discover Cuba: Departs December 6 ccc
   

Following the success of last year's London Metropolitan study tour to Cuba, the International Institute for the Study of Cuba has arranged another itinerary for 2008.
The Discover Cuba tour has been organised in conjunction with the tour company Old Havana Ltd and departs for a week on December 6.  Full details are posted on our site here
The tour has been arranged for students and staff at London Metropolitan University but participants from other institutions are welcome. Dr Stephen Wilkinson, Assistant Director of the IISC, will accompany it. To read what last year's group thought of the experience, click here

  
 
       
  cccc Note to subscribers ccc
   

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